Philip Clayton displays a certificate on Dec. 6 that his son Chad Clayton, who was in the National Guard, received for his military service. / Valerie Mosley / News-Leader

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Chad Clayton had been a member of the National Guard. / Submitted photo

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It was early afternoon on July 15 when Philip Clayton got the call.

His 30-year-old son Chad had been found in a Lockwood house, badly beaten.

Chad was unconscious and unresponsive at the hospital. His pupils were fixed and dilated.

"We held his hand and talked to him," Clayton said. "He couldn't respond but we hoped he could hear us."

Chad had survived a year-long deployment to Afghanistan but, on that Friday, he clung to life.

In a small waiting room at the hospital in Springfield, Clayton overheard Chad's war buddies speak in quick, hushed sentences. Clayton suspected they were hatching a plan aimed at whomever they suspected had beaten Chad.

"They all had their heads together," Clayton said. "I told them to settle down, let the cops take care of it."

Two days later, still in the hospital, Chad died.

The death was ruled a homicide -- blunt force trauma to the head and neck. Dade County authorities told Clayton they were building a case.

"They said, 'It's gonna take time. Be patient,'" Clayton said.

"So I was."

Military a good fit

Framed photos of Chad and his two brothers cover the grieving father's kitchen table.

Many show Chad in uniform, often smiling with family or friends.

"That was probably my proudest moment," Clayton said, showing a photo of Chad taken late last year at a ceremony for returning soldiers.

"The streets were lined with people. The governor was there."

Chad joined the National Guard after a failed attempt at college. He wanted to study criminal science and eventually become a police officer, but he had never been a particularly good student.

"Every year was a struggle," Clayton said of Chad's days at Lockwood High School. "We weren't sure if he was going to graduate until they called his name."

The military seemed to be a good fit for Chad, his father said. He had good friends, earned good money and had a chance to try college again.

Chad was deployed to Paktika, Afghanistan, in 2009.

"He was a really nice guy, fun to be around," said Bon Scott Morris, a National Guard soldier who deployed with Clayton.

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Morris said Clayton was "kind of a class clown" but always willing to share food or cigarettes without expecting anything in return.

"He was a brother to us. We took care of each other."

Although he spoke with Chad often, Clayton worried a lot about Chad during the deployment.

"Couldn't keep from it," he said.

Chad came home in September 2010. Clayton, relieved, thought the danger was over.

Hopes fade

At the hospital, Chad underwent emergency surgery to relieve the pressure building in his brain.

For 36 hours, machines kept his body alive.

Clayton's hopes were strained as he searched for signs of life.

An eye opened for just a moment. Another surgery made incursions into his skull.

But Chad would never wake.

Clayton said: "It was the most horrible two days I've ever spent in my life."

911 call made

Chad had started drinking early that Friday.

The Dade County coroner said toxicology reports suggest the 30-year-old was highly intoxicated before noon.

One friend told authorities Chad had been an "emotional wreck" and "troubled" in the weeks prior to his death. The friend believed Chad had struggled since returning from deployment.

It was 11 a.m. when Chad entered the house.

A little more than an hour later, a 911 call was made.

Dade County Sheriff Steve Stapp, who was first on the scene, described being approached by a shirtless man "profusely sweating and nervous."

The man reportedly told Stapp that Chad had gone up to his room and started a verbal argument that turned violent.

Stapp found Chad in an upstairs bedroom. He was unconscious and unresponsive. His face and head were bloody. His left eye was swollen shut, a large bruise was on his right cheek, and his nose appeared to be broken.

His white shirt was covered in blood, and his breathing was deep and labored.

The man reportedly told Stapp that Chad had entered his home demanding marijuana. The man said he was head-butted by Chad. The man said he responded by punching Chad about 10 times.

There is no indication that either man had a weapon.

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In his report, Stapp noted the man was taller and 150 pounds heavier than Chad, who weighed about 125.

If the times listed in the sheriff's report are accurate, Chad was in the house for about an hour before authorities were contacted.

The details remain unclear, but shortly after 11 a.m., the man who allegedly hit Chad made a phone call.

The person on the other side of the conversation told Stapp later that, at one point, he could hear Chad in the background, crying and saying, "Don't hurt me anymore."

Frustration mounts

In the weeks after Chad's death, Clayton started to inquire about the investigation.

He made multiple calls to the Dade County sheriff and the prosecutor. He called the Missouri State Highway Patrol, which joined the investigation about a week after the beating.

Clayton described his frustration when calls were not returned.

He felt the two agencies were not communicating. He feared the investigation of Chad's death was falling through the cracks.

The weeks turned to months. Still, no one was arrested, no charges filed.

On Oct. 7, Shelley James, Clayton's ex-wife and Chad's mother, died after a long battle with cancer.

She was buried next to Chad.

Later that month, the News-Leader made multiple inquiries to determine which agency had ultimate responsibility for the investigation of Chad's death.